Curves & Alphas: A Paranormal Box Set: (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (22 page)

‘Why do you think I’m any different?’ Sophia whispered. In truth, am I any different? She hadn’t had time to process the astounding truth yet, and neither had she really considered what this meant for her and Van. How does a werewolf/woman relationship work? She doubted there were any manuals in the self-help department of her local bookstore. 

‘I may not have known many women,’ Van softly replied. ‘But I’ve always dreamed of one. A blonde beauty with a beautiful, full body, light green eyes and skin as white as fallen snow.  I said that I knew you were special as soon as I saw you. It’s because I’ve met you in my dreams a thousand times before.’ He took her hand. ‘I’m sorry for how I acted tonight. I was shocked to find you out here; I felt exposed and unprepared. When you drove away, I thought I’d ruined everything. It was honestly the worst feeling I’ve ever experienced. You’re more than some girl that’s caught my eye, Sophia. You’re my savior. You’re my Pure Soul.’

Chapter 11

‘What’s a Pure Soul?’ asked Sophia, heart pounding. She wasn’t sure if she could handle too many more surprises tonight.

He bent his head close to hers. ‘There’s a primeval code that’s whispered from werewolf to werewolf. It states that if a werewolf can find his one true love, known as his Pure Soul, then the curse that was placed upon him at the time of the bite will be lifted. The werewolf will be returned to mortal form and allowed to live out the remainder of his days with the one who saved him.’

‘You think I’m your Pure Soul?’ whispered Sophia. ‘I’m the one who’ll save you?’

‘Yes. They say the howl of the werewolf is a call urging his Pure Soul to come and rescue him.’

Tears pricked in Sophia’s eyes at the mention of that howl. ‘I can’t even explain the feeling I had when you howled tonight. It was like an angel had entered my body and erased every trace of emotion other than pure joy.’

He nodded knowingly. ‘Only a Pure Soul could feel that,’ he said.

She processed this for a few moments. ‘How does the Pure Soul save the werewolf?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know. I was fixated on finding you; I never thought too much about what would happen if I ever did. It’s very rare that a werewolf finds his Pure Soul. I’m truly blessed.’ He held her face tenderly in his hands and grazed his lips over hers. ‘I wanted so badly to tell you last night,’ he whispered. ‘Sooner even. As soon as I met you beside the oak tree painting. But I didn’t want to frighten you away. I wanted to wait until we knew each other a little better. But perhaps it’s better this way. Now you know everything; you can make your decision.’

‘My decision?’

‘Whether you want to stay or go. I won’t blame you if you want to walk away. I don’t know what the future holds. Nothing in this werewolf life has been easy; I have a feeling that there’ll be danger ahead before I’ll be allowed to live happily ever after.’

Suddenly, Sophia felt a tremendous burden fall on her shoulders. Van was essentially asking her to decide whether to save his life or not; it wasn’t a decision to be taken lightly. But who knew what dangers lay ahead? It was true that she felt an incredible connection with him, but what if they were wrong? What if they discovered that she wasn’t his Pure Soul and he then cast her aside in order to search for the next blonde, green-eyed girl that matched his dreams?  

The thought occurred to her that perhaps he didn’t love her at all. Maybe he only wanted to be with her because he thought she could save him. But wait, Pure Soul means true love. He’s not looking for a savior... he’s looking for his true love, and the saving will follow. He thinks I’m it. Don’t over-think it. Follow your heart and the rest will follow.

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she said. ‘We’re in this together.’

The look on his face was pure elation. He stuck out his hand and helped her to her feet. ‘Come with me. It is a full moon, after all.’

Sophia hesitated. Part of her was dying to see this incredible phenomenon with her own eyes, to make real something that had always been firmly in the pages of paranormal novels. Fiction. But the other part was utterly terrified. If it was true – if he really was a werewolf – then the rest of the story was probably true, too, not just some outrageous tale. She would be his Pure Soul. While she loved a fairytale ending, she wasn’t sure she was prepared to become the heroine in this tale. Wasn’t the princess supposed to be the one being rescued?

Outside, it felt natural that they return to the flat rock beside the lake. It seemed dark when they first left the lodge, but it didn’t take long for their eyes to adjust and for the moonlight to seem bright once more. The night was completely still, with not a breath of wind. There were no nighttime animal sounds; even the nocturnal creatures appeared to be waiting with baited breath.

Van held Sophia’s hands and gave them a squeeze. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

‘I’m nervous,’ she admitted.

‘There’s nothing to be afraid of once I’m in wolf form,’ he assured her. ‘It’s still me. Well, kind of.’

‘Do you have…’ Sophia wasn’t sure how to phrase her question. Are you likely to tear me to pieces? ‘Do you have hunting urges?’  

He chuckled. ‘I do hunt, but don’t worry; Pure Souls aren’t on the menu tonight.’

She slapped him playfully on the arm. ‘Don’t tease! I need to know these things and you did say that you have animalistic urges.’

‘Alright, alright. It’s true; the desire to hunt is strong, but I absolutely have control over my choice of target.’ He gave her a wicked look. ‘I could’ve already taken you down earlier tonight, but I prefer a faster, more challenging kill.’

She shook her head in mock horror. ‘I don’t even know what to say. I can’t believe you’re joking right now!’

He pulled her close. ‘Hey, we can’t always be deadly serious, right?’

‘So, do you have a choice about when the transition happens?’ she asked once they pulled apart.

‘I can’t really explain it. It’s both a conscious decision and it’s not. I’m not forced to transition merely by the presence of the full moon, but I want to so badly that I can’t remember a month in which I haven’t. It’s irresistible, an addiction, like heroin must be to a junkie. But, like an addict, the compulsion feels dirty somehow. Sinful. As if the universe is watching and judging me for being a freak of nature.’

Sophia held his face in her hands and kissed him hard on the lips. ‘You’re not a freak. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ She stepped back and readied herself. ‘Let’s do this.’

Van gave a short nod then hesitated.

‘I tend to transition naked. I learned after destroying my clothes the first few times.’

‘Seems practical.’

‘Thought I’d better warn you.’

‘You can get naked in front of me anytime.’

He grinned, then stripped off his shorts and t shirt, and climbed up onto the rock. Naked in the moonlight, he looked absolutely gorgeous, and Sophia felt a strong stirring between her legs. He crouched down and turned his face up to the moon. Then he waited. Sophia, who was expecting an instant transformation, waited impatiently as the seconds ticked by. A seed of doubt sowed itself in her mind. Sure, his naked body was an attractive diversion, but maybe he really had been fibbing all along. Was this some kind of elaborate hoax? Was he a complete basket-case?

Then, all of a sudden, goose pimples flew up her arms as the air became charged with electricity. Her ears vibrated with it, the humming growing louder and louder until she fell to her knees and clamped her hands over them. On the rock, Van’s whole body seemed to be infused with the energy. He was stiff with it, his ordinarily large muscles protruding in a grotesque way, his neck swollen and engorged. His face was beet red and he seemed completely unable to draw breath. Sophia began to feel desperate, as if she should rush forward and help him somehow. What if he died right in front of her? But she forced herself to stay back, telling herself that he’d probably done this a thousand times; it was her who was the newcomer.

He was definitely changing now. It seemed slow, but each time Sophia’s eyes flicked to one part of his body or another, something had altered. She watched, fascinated, as a long tail sprouted from the base of his spine. When she looked back at his face, his nose had lengthened, and his ears were pointed and positioned at the top of his head. The lustrous fur that sprouted all over his back caught her attention for several seconds, and next thing she knew, his limbs were now legs and his body was curved and powerful. His eyes were the last thing to change, growing further apart and slanted, yet retaining that intense blue color that Sophia found so irresistible.

The whole process took perhaps three minutes, but it was the most entrancing three minutes of Sophia’s life, so much so that by the time wolf-Van climbed down from the rock and made his way over to her, she was totally entranced.

‘You’re beautiful,’ she breathed.

He was. With his shoulders standing at Sophia’s chest’s height and his body rippling with bound power, he was an imposing creature. But Sophia found herself utterly unafraid. What struck her was his magnificence, his splendor, his grace. He looked at her with those blue, blue eyes, which only seemed bluer against his midnight face.

‘Your eyes,’ she whispered. ‘They’re so clear. It’s like they’re unfiltered. Like I can see straight into your soul.’ She reached out, hesitant at first, and grazed her fingers over his head, between his ears. The fur was thick and silky, and begged to be touched again. ‘Do you mind?’ she asked. His eyes said no. She ran her hands first over his shoulder then down his back, burying her fingers in the lustrous pelt. She could feel his body, warm and firm beneath. It was so sensual she couldn’t resist bending her head and allowing her cheek to rest on his beautiful coat. There was that smell: that fresh, outdoors scent she already associated so strongly with Van.

‘Can you talk?’ she whispered.   

He shook his head. But he didn’t need words to communicate what he wanted her to do next. He knelt down and presented his broad back to her.

‘You want me to climb on?’ Sophia wasn’t sure. ‘What if I hurt you?’

He remained in position, clearly unfazed by the prospect of carrying her. In truth, he was such a hefty beast, he could probably manage a rider twice her size. She took a deep breath and threw her leg over. When he stood back on all fours, she wobbled about, unsure where to place her hands. She remembered how wolf-mothers carry their cubs by the scruff of the neck. With a little cringe, she grasped the thick fur at his neckline, while gripping with her thighs at the same time.

‘Is that okay?’ she asked, leaning over to see his face.

He turned his head. Ready? His eyes asked.

She nodded. Then they were off.

Chapter 12

Nothing could have prepared Sophia for that first journey. With the thrilling vigor of wolf-Van surging through her, they set off, away from the lake and into the woods. Van started at a gentle pace, allowing her to become accustomed to this novel form of transport. Then, with a thrilling burst, he took off. They flew through the trees, bounding from fallen log to rock, barely seeming to touch the ground in between. He was faster than any regular wolf could possibly be, using his strength and size along with his enchanted powers to move at a phenomenal pace. Sophia clung on for dear life and marveled at the nocturnal wildlife that scattered from side to side in alarm. She saw mice, bobcats, and raccoons, and when they rounded a large fir, they came face to face with a giant black bear.

Sophia screamed as it reared up on its hind legs and bared its teeth. Van swiftly dodged past it and continued on. Sophia peeked behind them to see the bear looking after them with what looked like confusion on its face. She giggled, imagining what the bear must have thought, to encounter such a wolf. He had probably thought he was in for the fight of its life.

Before long, they’d passed through the forest and begun climbing a craggy hill on the far side of the lake. The sky was blanketed with twinkling stars above, and when they reached the summit, the most spectacular scene came into view. Crystal Lake shone like a silvery mirror in front of them, the details of all her inlets and bays were revealed at this height. The lights of Fir Lodge twinkled through the trees in the distance. In the other direction, Lake Christine and Winter Lake shimmered in a similarly beautiful display. The glow of the city was just visible beyond, but city life seemed so removed from this place, this moment, that Sophia could scarcely believe that place of bustle and machines existed anymore. The full moon was so large and bright above, with its shadows and craters, that Sophia felt as if she could reach out and touch it.

She felt the howl building in his body before he even lifted his head to the moon. The energy built and built until he raised his head, opened his mouth, and released it into the sky. Sophia was once again filled with glorious energy, but this time it was even stronger as she sat astride him. The vibration of the howl ran up her legs, up her belly, and exploded out of her throat. All at once, she realized that she was howling, too; an unconscious moment of connection with the night and with the ecstasy that filled her. It felt so incredible, so natural, that she at once understood wolves on a whole other level.

As they both fell silent once more, Sophia wondered how on earth Van could give up the ability to run like this, to live this fantasy life in order to be mortal, merely human. Was eternal life really so terrible that he’d give all of this away?

The ride back down the hill felt a little perilous, but Van handled it with ease. They trotted back to the lodge via the south end of the lake, making a full circumference of its shores. A couple of hundred yards from the lodge, Van slowed his pace suddenly. They emerged into a clearing with a huge rock in the middle. It was milky white in color, quite different from the grey stone typical of the area. It was taller than a man and the top arched over so you could shelter underneath it. Indeed, something about the rock drew Sophia strongly towards it. Van circled around it and then came to a stop directly in front. She climbed off and approached it slowly.

In a night that was filled with other-worldly delights, this place was enchanting on a whole other level. The rock glowed as if saturated by moonlight. When Sophia touched it, it felt smooth and warm. Surely the heat of the day should have gone by now? She tiptoed under the arch, at once feeling enveloped by the stone and the mysterious power that surrounded it. As she returned to Van’s side, she knew that he’d shown her the rock for a reason. There was more to this place than a beautiful landmark.

Sophia walked beside him for the remainder of the journey, her hand resting easily on his back. They returned instinctively to the lake shore, where Sophia stood aside and allowed Van to transform back to human form. One thing was certain; it wasn’t an easy or pleasant process. He groaned and cried out with each major change, and when it was over, he laid still and twitching until he was able to build up enough strength to climb down and pull on his clothes. Sweat poured off him, and his muscles continued twitching, as they had when he’d confronted her in the entrance way earlier. His eyes were also filled with the same wild adrenalin, and he clenched his jaw, perhaps to prevent any harsh word or sound from emerging.

Sophia allowed him to calm down in silence, recognizing that this phase must be part of the process. Sure enough, by the time they reached the house and he’d taken a shower, the familiar gentleness had returned to his eyes and his jaw was soft once more.

Sophia was waiting on the end of his bed. She’d turned all the lights off so the moonlight could spill through the open window unobstructed. She had no idea what the time was, but she felt it must be close to dawn. She stood up to meet him and they joined hands in the middle of the room. For a moment, Sophia was lost for words. How could words possibly explain what had just happened and how she felt? Then she realized that this wasn’t a time for talking anyway. They looked into each other’s eyes and understood.